Daytime Running Lights

[ce25593]

I recently purchased a 1997 ES300. Is there a simple method, short on turning on the headlights, to have daytime running lights? On a BMW I was able to replace the lighting control module with one for a Canadian BMW where daytime running lights were required before being mandatory in the US. I hope it is as simple with the ES300. Thank you.

[1990LS400]

1999 was the first year of DRL on the U.S. spec ES300 and Toyota Camry. My wife drives her 98 Camry with the headlights on during the day -- actually never turns the headlight switch off and relies on the the driver's door switch to automatically turn them off when she gets out of her car.

The 99-up ES probably has a DRL relay similar to my 00 LS -- adding one and the supporting wiring to a 97 ES is probably not a trivial change. It looked kind of complex when I recently researched a DRL issue for the owner of a 2000 ES300.

You might look into buying a DRL conversion kit from a Canadian source. As you know, DRL is required in Canada but not in the U.S. Lots of Canadians import cars from the U.S. and have to add DRL -- one of my Ontario cousins had to have DRL added to a U.S. spec car last year. DRL kits are pretty common in Canada -- even the chain store "Canadian Tire" sells a kit for CN$39.99 : http://www.canadiantire.ca

[George_Jetson]

97foglight.pdf

This is the schematic, if you notice the upper left hand side shows the difference between the american, and canadian versions. It appears that all you need to do is swap the one wire to convert you lights.

[1990LS400]

This is the schematic, if you notice the upper left hand side shows the difference between the american, and canadian versions. It appears that all you need to do is swap the one wire to convert you lights.

George_Jetson,

I think what you found is the difference in the way the foglights are wired on a U.S. spec car and on a Canadian spec car. The foglights are not the DRL.

Even in some model years where DRL was standard on U.S. Lexus cars -- the headlight/DRL system wiring on at least some U.S. Lexus models (e.g. the 2000 LS400 like I have) is quite different from that on the nearly identical looking Canadian spec models. For example, the same instrument cluster indicator light that is used to indicate that the headlights are on in a U.S. spec Lexus is instead used in a Canadian spec Lexus to indicate that the DRL is on. Why? I have no idea. Maybe Canadian requirements are different from U.S. requirements.

[George_Jetson]

Ops, my bad. I looked at the correct schematic, and there is a substantial differences.

[ce25593]

1999 was the first year of DRL on the U.S. spec ES300 and Toyota Camry. My wife drives her 98 Camry with the headlights on during the day -- actually never turns the headlight switch off and relies on the the driver's door switch to automatically turn them off when she gets out of her car.

The 99-up ES probably has a DRL relay similar to my 00 LS -- adding one and the supporting wiring to a 97 ES is probably not a trivial change. It looked kind of complex when I recently researched a DRL issue for the owner of a 2000 ES300.

You might look into buying a DRL conversion kit from a Canadian source. As you know, DRL is required in Canada but not in the U.S. Lots of Canadians import cars from the U.S. and have to add DRL -- one of my Ontario cousins had to have DRL added to a U.S. spec car last year. DRL kits are pretty common in Canada -- even the chain store "Canadian Tire" sells a kit for CN$39.99 : http://www.canadiantire.ca

Thank you for the information.

Bob